Real Madrid continued their international-break preparations on Tuesday, with Éder Militão again working alongside his teammates while five players remained in rehabilitation. Away from Valdebebas, Carlo Ancelotti offered support for Vinícius Júnior after the forward scored for Brazil, Barcelona opened its Clásico ticket presale, and Nasser Al-Khelaifi discussed Madrid’s potential return to the European club association.
Militão trains with teammates for a second successive day
Éder Militão continued his reintegration into training on Tuesday, participating
alongside Madrid’s available players for the second consecutive session. The defender is working his way back after a lengthy injury absence, with his involvement representing another step toward returning to competition rather than confirmation that he is ready for selection.
Mourinho’s available first-team players were joined by a group from the academy for the session at Real Madrid City. Training began with activation exercises and rondos before moving into possession work and a small-sided match. The players finished with running exercises on the grass.
The club’s report listed Ibrahima Konaté, Kylian Mbappé, Ferland Mendy, Fede Valverde and Rodrygo as continuing their recovery programs. It did not provide return dates for any of them. Madrid’s next competitive fixture is the home meeting with Villarreal on October 10.
Join Kiyan Sobhani for a live Q&A today
Managing Madrid’s Kiyan Sobhani will go live on YouTube today, September 29, at 1 p.m. Eastern / 7 p.m. Madrid time, to answer your questions about Real Madrid. From the latest injury updates and the upcoming schedule to the team’s performances under Mourinho, there is plenty to discuss. All Madridistas are invited to join—submit your questions in the live chat and take part in the conversation:
Different recovery timelines for Mbappé, Rodrygo and Mendy
According to AS, the examinations carried out on Mbappé on September 26 identified a hyperextension of the posterior capsule of his left knee, with an estimated absence of 10 to 12 days. That remains a reported recovery estimate rather than confirmation of his availability for Madrid’s next match.
Rodrygo and Mendy are on longer timelines. AS reports that Rodrygo has progressed to individual ball work following his serious knee injury, with December a tentative target for his return. Mendy is also working with the ball after undergoing hamstring-tendon surgery in May. His comeback is being projected toward the end of 2026, although the report stresses that Madrid do not want to set a firm deadline given his injury history.
Clásico presale opens with tickets listed from €476.50
Barcelona have begun selling tickets to members for the first league Clásico of the season, which takes place at Spotify Camp Nou on Sunday, October 25, at 9 p.m. Madrid time. The initial sale is reserved for members, with a 48-hour priority window and a five-percent member discount.
Mundo Deportivo reported that the cheapest ticket it found at the start of the sale was €476.50 in Gol 1. Other advertised prices included €699 in Córner 1, €799 in Lateral 2 Superior and €899 in Tribuna 2 Superior. Seats in Tribuna 2 Inferior and Tribuna 1 were listed at €999.
Hospitality packages are priced separately and extend considerably higher. The same report listed Balcony Gol seats at €2,050, with some pitchside packages reaching €5,500. Barcelona use dynamic pricing, meaning the figures can change with demand and the availability of seats in each section; the initial listings are not a fixed price range for the remainder of the sale.
Ancelotti backs Vinícius: “I’m going to be very patient with him”
Carlo Ancelotti acknowledged that Vinícius Júnior is below his best but reiterated his confidence in the forward after Brazil’s 4–2 friendly victory over Australia in Brisbane. Vinícius won and converted a second-half penalty to score Brazil’s fourth goal.
“I know him very well, and he’s a key player for Brazil, and for me as well. He’s also a key player for the team’s history and for the future,” Ancelotti said.
“He’s not at his best right now, but even so, he can make the difference, as he did today.”
The Brazil coach also made clear that his approach would be supportive: “I’m going to be very patient with him.”
Vinícius said afterwards that returning to the scoresheet was important for his confidence. He explained that Bruno Guimarães, who would ordinarily have taken the penalty in Raphinha’s absence, understood that he needed the opportunity after a run of games without scoring.
Al-Khelaifi says Madrid are “in the process of returning” to EFC
Nasser Al-Khelaifi has said Real Madrid are working toward rejoining European Football Clubs (EFC), the organization formerly known as the European Club Association. Speaking at its general assembly in Copenhagen, the EFC chairman and PSG president thanked Florentino Pérez for the discussions and presented a potential Madrid return as part of a move toward greater cooperation between clubs.
“I would like to thank Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez for believing that the future of European football must be built on unity and collective interests; we are pleased that they are in the process of returning to the EFC family,” Al-Khelaifi said.
He also welcomed Barcelona’s return to the organization.
“In this regard, I would also like to thank Barcelona president Joan Laporta for his confidence in the EFC; welcome back to the family.”
The distinction in Al-Khelaifi’s wording is important: he described Madrid’s return as an ongoing process, rather than announcing that its readmission had been completed.
Anas Laghrari’s attendance also attracted attention because of his connections to Madrid. However, AS reported that he was present on behalf of A22, the company behind the Super League project, rather than as a Real Madrid representative. His presence therefore should not be treated as confirmation that Madrid have formally rejoined the association.
Video: Zidane laughs off an introduction as Madrid coach
Zinedine Zidane was briefly introduced as Real Madrid’s coach during an interview following France’s victory over Belgium. The journalist immediately recognized the mistake, prompting laughter from Zidane before the introduction was corrected:
